ActivTrades Review

ActivTrades is a global CFD broker that maintains physical offices in many corners of the world. It currently provides trading services under the regulatory umbrella of five of the world’s top trading jurisdictions. The main selling points of the broker are the exhaustive selection of CFDs it offers and the excellent trading conditions on these CFDs.

ActivTrades was founded in 2001 in Switzerland. The organization moved its headquarters to London in 2005. It wasn’t until 2009 that the brokerage began to see significant growth. Over its more than two decades of existence, ActivTrades accrued an impressive collection of industry awards and accolades.

Of its 55 awards, some of the most impressive came in 2023. The International Investor Magazine named it the Best Forex Broker and the Best Global Broker.

In addition to its attractive trading conditions, ActivTrades also offers a reasonable account opening process, with free withdrawals and deposits. The broker does charge a few fees some traders may not like, however, like an inactivity fee.

What do traders like and dislike about the broker? The overwhelming majority of the client feedback about ActivTrades’ services is positive.

• ActivTrades take trader education seriously. They have a YouTube channel where they post educational videos. Many of their traders love these videos.
• Many traders appreciate the withdrawal policies of the broker. ActivTrades process their traders’ withdrawal requests quickly.
• The market analyses of the ActivTrades experts also seem to have drummed up a following.
• It is hardly surprising that some traders appreciate the trading conditions the broker offers.
• Some traders appreciate the safety and security the broker gives them.
• The broker’s selection of trading platforms is another feature many traders tend to appreciate.

Discontent customers always exist, regardless of the service. Here’s a quick look at what some traders don’t like about ActivTrades.

• At least one trader does not like ActivTrades customer support, deeming it too slow and unprofessional.
• Some traders allege that ActiveTrades is a market maker, meaning it trades against its clients.
• Some traders complain that ActivTrades closed their accounts when they registered profits.
• Others say they have had their profits canceled.

ActivTrades’ safety and regulatory coverage is outstanding. There are several corporate entities behind the brand, as it maintains several physical offices in several countries.

The FCA-regulated UK branch of the operation has its headquarters at The Loom 2.5, 14 Gower’s Walk, London, UK. Other countries where the broker has a physical presence are:

• Luxemburg, where it’s regulated by the CSSF
• Bahamas, where it is regulated by SCB
• Italy, under the regulatory umbrella of CMVM
• Bulgaria
• Portugal, regulated by CMVM
• Brazil, regulated by Bacen

Several corporate entities represent the ActivTrades brand in these countries. ActivTrades Corp and ActivTrades PLC are organizations registered in the UK, operating under the regulatory umbrella of the FCA.

ActivMarkets is a company registered in Portugal, operating under the regulatory oversight of the local CMVM.

Based on its regulatory profile, ActivTrades can peddle its trading services in several other countries as well.

Platform and Tools

ActivTrades supports several trading platforms, allowing its users to access its services via its proprietary trading platform called ActivTrader, the well-known MT4, MT5, and TradingView.

The ActivTrader Platform

The proprietary ActivTrader platform aims to cater to the needs of beginners and advanced traders alike. It supports features like progressive trailing stops, trailing stops, and hedging.

The trading platform is graphically pleasing. Its compatibility with various devices is excellent. It works on desktop computers, mobile phones, and tablets. It is available in Windows, iOS, and Android versions.

Due to the demand for lightning-quick execution and access to the financial markets, the ActivTrader platform uses IBM’s cloud infrastructure. Price delivery happens in real time, and the platform uptime is impressive.

The technical analysis features of the platform are satisfactory for beginners and advanced traders alike. The charts come with drawing tools, many time frames, and chart types.

Opening a position is as simple as clicking on an asset, setting the stop loss and take profit, choosing the direction of the trade, entering the amount, and clicking the confirm button.

Progressive trailing stops allow traders to keep their stops closer to the price, maximizing their profits and minimizing their losses.

Trailing stops accomplish similar goals. They move your stops as the price of the asset changes, only setting them when they reach a certain distance from the price.

ActivTrader also features a market sentiment indicator and a free demo version with plenty of virtual money to use for trading.

TradingView

The TradingView platform offers advanced charting and tools like live news and the opportunity to interact with 30 million other traders.

To use the TradingView platform, traders must connect their accounts to TradingView.

MT4

MetaTrader4 is perhaps the most popular online trading platform. Like the other platforms ActivTrades supports, it is available in Windows, Android, and iOS versions. Traders can download MT4 directly from the ActivTrades site.

MT5

ActivTrades clients can access more than 500 CFDs on the MT5 platform with tools like integrated trading statements, economic headlines, price alerts, and one-click trading. The platform also supports 21 time frames and eight order types.

Asset Classes

ActivTrades offers its traders Forex, shares, indices, cryptocurrencies, ETFs, commodities, and bonds.

The Forex section covers a decent, though not extensive selection of currency pairs, including majors, minors, exotics, and popular pairs.

The asset selection is similar in the shares category. The broker offers a handful of representative shares for many countries, including the US, Netherlands, Italy, France, Spain, the UK, and others.

The indices category features 11 cash indices and futures.

The cryptocurrencies class covers 11 of the most popular cryptocurrencies against the US dollar. There are many more US ETFs, however.

In addition to a handful of spot commodities, the broker also covers a wide range of commodity futures.

Commissions and Fees

ActivTrades’ spreads and swaps are transparent. The broker features a page where traders can track these trading-associated costs in real time. The spreads are variable, so they move around based on market conditions.

On a Forex major like the EUR/USD, the spread is around 0.5 to 0.20 pips. The spreads tend to be higher on volatile assets like the BTC/USD pair, where they can be 55-120.

On some CFDs, the broker may charge a commission. The broker does not charge an account fee, but it does have an inactivity fee.

If you fail to use your account for a year and leave it with a balance, the broker will begin charging GBP10 per month.

Research and Education

To help its clients learn to trade or improve as traders, the broker has made available a series of educational webinars, seminars, and manuals. While there are no upcoming seminars right now, traders can register for webinars. None of these educational tools are available on demand.

There is, however, a generous archive of past webinars traders can re-watch on demand.

The available trading manuals allow clients to master the platforms the broker supports.

Various analysis pieces and an economic calendar round out ActivTrades’ educational offer.

Customer Service

In addition to a Help Center, the broker has made available an online message form, a live chat feature, and a call-back option for support purposes. The call-back option is free.

Those seeking assistance in the UK can contact ActivTrades customer support through the following phone numbers: +44(0) 207 6500 567, +44(0) 207 6500 500. Email support is available at englishdesk@activtrades.com.

Mobile

Every platform the broker currently supports comes in mobile versions for iOS and Android. The mobile versions of the platforms are as capable as the desktop versions in every way. Charting may be a bit harder on the eyes on smaller screens.

Conclusion

ActiveTrade is a global CFD broker that enjoys a good reputation among traders and industry peers.

The broker supports a decent range of trading platforms, educational tools, and analysis-oriented features.

CFD trading is inherently risky. Those who trade with ActivTrades seem to be more successful than their peers, however. And they tend to appreciate the trading conditions the broker provides.